Sunday, August 30, 2009

Finally some sense prevails and I take the RANGER (MM550) to the right place!!!

Finally some sense prevails and I take the RANGER (MM550) to the right place!!!

Hey guys This is going to be a long post so please bear with me!!!

The vehicle along with the driver was sent to mayapuri with specific instructions of Do not let the mechanic touch the vehicle. I had decided not to show it to Mayapuri even if that meant I do not get to drive the vehicle anymore.I was actually fedup of being tossed around

All the mountings were changed, nuts bolts, seats etc etc were tightened. The vehicle was parked there the entire day and when they tried to start the vehicle afterwards and it didn't crank. They push started it and the driver brought it home and parked it. I was out of station and came to know of the battery drain only on my return back to Delhi. Anyways the vehicle was quite smooth to drive and the music aka sounds from all nooks and corners disappeared.

Anyways I charged the battery at my office and with the help of Mandeep took the vehicle to an electrician near Dhaula Kuan. The electrician checked up the vehicle completely. He concluded that the alternator was working fine and was charging the battery, the battery was also ok as it was just 3 months old and that couldn't be the issue. So he came to the conclusion that the battery might have leaked as in mayapuri they might have left some headlight on or something else we can never be sure.

I got the starter serviced from that guy and paid 1100 bucks (including parts (bush and couple of other parts 700) and 400 labor)

So the hunt was on for a good workshop and whomsoever I asked had many suggestions but I really din't know where to turn to.

Quote from my previous post 2nd August 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by harjeev

I again dont want to spend the money and still not find a permanent solution to this problem!!! What I've learnt is that these (mayapuri mechanic) are good for small small issues but now I would like to go to a decent guy who even if he charges me a little more money, but not take me for a ride.I actually don't mind going to an authorised service station provided the guys doing the work there understand jeeps.

While I was with Mandeep at the electrician's shop (I think it was on Tuesday the 4th of August) naturally I asked him to what to do and he advised me to go to Mahindra First Choice's outlet in North Delhi. Its owned by as the name says its all by M&M and comes under Mr. Sudhir Kashyap who is the Dy GM- North. I had met Mr.Sudhir Kashyap (SK) at an OTR once in the past & I called them the very next day had an appointment fixed for Sunday.

Observations @ M&M's Automart

Jobs for which i went to the workshop

Oil/ oil filter, air filter change,

Clutch hard excessively and a weird noise when in momentum the clutch is pressed.

Power steering too hard

Issues observed by the workshop

Engine mounting driver's side broken in two :-(

Excessive play in the rod that connects the steering rod to the power steering pump. The mechanic was able to pull up the steering almost 1.5-2 inches :-(

Clutch bearing issues (thats the reason for the clutch so hard)

The 2 rear reflectors missing

The fuel pump is leaking diesel and this was supposed to have been overhauled at Lucas by the workshop in Greater Noida where I got the work done earlier or pardon me for saying S%$#%ED. Now I will come to know whether it was actually done at Lucas or I was again duped. He SK told me that he would run the serial number in the system and check. If it was done @ lucas it would be free otherwise I will have to redo it again.

They will add a lamp in the engine bay

The steering has so much play and SK told me that the joint/ cross holding them together are almost worn out and as per them could have anytime given way.

The suspension rod or the jumping rod is missing. I do not know whether this favor to me was done by the mayapuri guys or by the GNoida workshop.

Work to be done and cost estimate explained to me

8k approx parts and 3k labor

Clutch overhaul & Engine & gearbox mountings change

Full Service

Power steering overhaul

Brakes check

Change the side view mirrors to original

Estimate cost for the parts

3800 for the clutch setup & Clutch cable, bearings etc

2100 (700 each for engine(2) gearbox(1) mountings)

1500 engine oil, oil filter, diesel filter etc

Rest misc

I have decided to leave the vehicle in the workshop for the work to be done and they estimate that it would take about 3 day tops 4 days for the job to be completed.

Some general observations when I was at the workshop

I really liked the attitude of the staff and and that of Mr.SK. He SK was very warm and courteous and showed me around the complete workshop

Took the estimate of the complete repainting of a vehicle(Jeep) with 2k paint and complete under body antirust, clear coat with denting, painting, metal patchwork, etc etc 28-30k. Quite acceptable and affordable too. Plus the paint done in a paint booth is always much better and long lasting than the one done in the open. They also use only genuine stuff from Asian Paints and this paint I believe is about 1800 bucks a liter and amongst the best.

Liked what SK told me that "M&M fixes the labor rates and the cost of the parts are also fixed in the system, so even if some employee wants to charge extra he cant do it, as everything is governed by the system and ultimately they have to work in competition with other multi-brand workshops". Now this is how things should work and I have always like people who are straight forward and truthful rather than beat around the bush.

At the workshop they were using something for denting maybe spot welding or tick welding I am not sure what its called, but they were not using the traditional first heat with a blow torch and then hammer approach.

Parts or things are constantly getting worn out and need replacement like the body mountings, steering play, etc etc. This is especially true for our OTR vehicles and it is not possible to discover what needs to be done by someone like me who is not really of a technical bent of mind. People like me need good workshops rather than to go to unauthorised people or places like Mayapuri or Greater Noida and get robbed and fleeced to the last penny we have in our pockets and still not get the work done.

Infact last week when i had the body mounts changed from Mayapuri the vehicle was there the entire day and just look at the expertise and attitude of the guys they were changing the mounts. They din't even bother to check whether the engine mounts are ok. Are they really that dumb Or maybe on the contrary they are so smart that they must have noticed and not do anything about it so that the vehicle comes to them again in future and they charge the labor charges all over again.

I am not saying that the workshop guys will discover everything in the 1st instant and nothing will escape their eyes. But I am just impressed with this fact that they atleast were specifically looking at places to see whatever's not right with the vehicle and do what needs to be done.

I had also told them to remove the power steering and put in a new sterring box but SK advised me to leave the power steering as it is and assured me that they will make sure that the power steering works like feather touch.

Now compare the 3k labor of the workshop with the 4k estimate the mayapuri guy gave me for just the clutch work. I have now started believing that they(mayapuri guys) have different charges for guys like us (Tbhp & NIOC guy) than what they normally charge. They have started to simply rip us off. Quality of work is pathetic, and genuineness of the parts used is best if left to anyone's guess.

Also learnt something amazing while I was chatting with guys as the workshop. A I asked them what would be the approx cost of a complete mechanical overhaul (parts and labor included) of a MM550 pickup up from the junk market. I learn that it should cost somewhere around 1.50Lacs just excluding the seats, hood & tyres which I think is not bad at all. even if the cost accelerates by 10-15% still I think that its a very good option. Atleast the work will be done under the supervision of competent people, proper tools will be used and if I would have got it done this way I would have had the mental satisfaction that genuine parts have been used. If I knew this initially i would opted for something like this any day rather than to go to unauthorised workshops and uncompetent people and waste 5 month of my life. Plus they(automart) give a 6 month warranty on the job done.

Now I understand what Darbar Bheram & GTO means when they say that there's only one way and this is the only right way.

When I had the clutch issue in corbett I was weary of again have to go to Mayapuri and show it to them as I had the feeling in my mind that whatever I spend there will be a big waste.

I am very happy that I finally stepped out of Mayapuri and took the right step as I had always believed that quality always has a price and though Mayapuri sounds cheap its actually the people there who are cheap.

And with regards to the cost part it looks cheap as money is given in small installments but towards the end we end up spending much more in cost and time and still don't get the satisfaction.

Here at the authorised workshop atleast I am getting a bill for all the stuff gone into my vehicle and have told them to do whatever they need to do and I am not showing the vehicle again to Mayapuri, atleast for mechanical.

I am glad I came to the correct workshop at last. "better late then never"

1 comment:

Hey, can u mention the legal formalities to be fulfilled at RTO for ex-army vehicle registration bought from dealers like in Mayapuri? And the approx cost of a decent MM 550 army spec at Mayapuri?( As in condition )